Past Winner Stories
The Flag & Banner Co.
To say that The Flag & Banner Co. is an intensely personal family business may be an understatement. From humble beginnings at Karen Bush’s kitchen table, she, her husband and daughters have built a multi-faceted business, born of one of the most noble causes of all - patriotism.
“Many years ago while driving down the street, tattered flags caught my attention and my heart skipped as this beautiful symbol of freedom was too often shredded,” Karen explains. “From that moment, a journey of promoting patriotism has directed the lives of our entire family and those I hold dear.”
A devoted wife and mother, Bush was always in search of a career opportunity that would give her the chance to greet school busses and share in after-school chatter. As a flag dealer, her schedule would be her own, so she committed to selling one dozen U.S. flags and sewing custom designs when requested.
The family’s kitchen table became the flag company’s shipping, receiving, stacking and packing departments. The dining room became a cutting table and the second-story bedroom served as the sewing center. When Bush’s dedication resulted in so many orders that banners were being pushed out the window down the side of the house, the company relocated; renting 5,000 square feet of space in the building it still operates out of today.
The business was flying high when the Pan-American games came to town in 1987. The Flag & Banner Co. became a distributor for Pan-American licensed products and temporarily took up space in a large warehouse on Senate Avenue. Family, friends and co-workers pulled together and were proud to be part of this exciting event, despite its challenges.
“Traffic was so congested that getting deliveries to the sites was impossible,” Bush says with a smile. “The common car would not work, but motorcycles did. Cyclists rallied with us, and our big burly buddies kept freshly screened T-shirts tied to their bikes making deliveries for the duration.”
Halfway through the games, life as the Bush family knew it came to a screeching halt. Bush discovered that she and her company had been set up for an insurance scam at the hands of an employee. The “legal games” began and a summary judgement was ordered against The Flag & Banner Co. Everything the Bush family had was about to be taken and they were advised to file bankruptcy to thwart the judgement. Bush remembers this as a sordid and humiliating story, but is proud that the family came through and honored their Pan-American agreements. When the games concluded, the family and staff sat in an empty warehouse wondering what to do next. Buoyed by the unwavering support of their employees, the Bushes packed up and returned to their original building, and haven’t stopped growing since.
When you enter the business today, you are greeted by a profusion of color and a proliferation of patriotic items. The company’s services have expanded to include applique, silk screening and digitized designs.
“We still don’t have new cars and a fancy building, but what we do have is a group of loyal, hard-working and capable people who are like family. We’re proud of our reputation of caring, delivering as promised and being fair,” Bush concludes. “Our flags fly all over the United States and our commercial flagpoles help them fly proudly.”
“It’s great to live the American dream."
“Many years ago while driving down the street, tattered flags caught my attention and my heart skipped as this beautiful symbol of freedom was too often shredded,” Karen explains. “From that moment, a journey of promoting patriotism has directed the lives of our entire family and those I hold dear.”
A devoted wife and mother, Bush was always in search of a career opportunity that would give her the chance to greet school busses and share in after-school chatter. As a flag dealer, her schedule would be her own, so she committed to selling one dozen U.S. flags and sewing custom designs when requested.
The family’s kitchen table became the flag company’s shipping, receiving, stacking and packing departments. The dining room became a cutting table and the second-story bedroom served as the sewing center. When Bush’s dedication resulted in so many orders that banners were being pushed out the window down the side of the house, the company relocated; renting 5,000 square feet of space in the building it still operates out of today.
The business was flying high when the Pan-American games came to town in 1987. The Flag & Banner Co. became a distributor for Pan-American licensed products and temporarily took up space in a large warehouse on Senate Avenue. Family, friends and co-workers pulled together and were proud to be part of this exciting event, despite its challenges.
“Traffic was so congested that getting deliveries to the sites was impossible,” Bush says with a smile. “The common car would not work, but motorcycles did. Cyclists rallied with us, and our big burly buddies kept freshly screened T-shirts tied to their bikes making deliveries for the duration.”
Halfway through the games, life as the Bush family knew it came to a screeching halt. Bush discovered that she and her company had been set up for an insurance scam at the hands of an employee. The “legal games” began and a summary judgement was ordered against The Flag & Banner Co. Everything the Bush family had was about to be taken and they were advised to file bankruptcy to thwart the judgement. Bush remembers this as a sordid and humiliating story, but is proud that the family came through and honored their Pan-American agreements. When the games concluded, the family and staff sat in an empty warehouse wondering what to do next. Buoyed by the unwavering support of their employees, the Bushes packed up and returned to their original building, and haven’t stopped growing since.
When you enter the business today, you are greeted by a profusion of color and a proliferation of patriotic items. The company’s services have expanded to include applique, silk screening and digitized designs.
“We still don’t have new cars and a fancy building, but what we do have is a group of loyal, hard-working and capable people who are like family. We’re proud of our reputation of caring, delivering as promised and being fair,” Bush concludes. “Our flags fly all over the United States and our commercial flagpoles help them fly proudly.”
“It’s great to live the American dream."